"Hm? Is there something you can't say?" Chu Lian twirled beneath her parasol and asked curiously.
"No. I just don't know where to begin. After all, this isn't exactly something worth talking about." His face was covered in dust, yet when he spoke there was still a trace of light that could not be concealed. Knowing he could never escape the girl's pursuit no matter how he ran, the boy simply stopped running. Since she wanted to know, he would tell her.
"I think I can be a qualified listener." Though she had once found his pursuit irritating, the girl had experienced enough by now to take things more calmly. And seeing the boy's current state, she felt this was the moment she ought to reach out a hand. Otherwise, his life might truly be ruined.
"I don't need a listener. I only need someone who understands my heart. Unfortunately, that will never be you. After all, I'm not someone you like. In fact, you like girls—and I'm a boy. I was never the type you would look at." Wang Tingsi shook his head and let out a faint sigh.
"So you knew?" Chu Lian smiled lightly. She felt no awkwardness about having this discovered. Who she liked was her own decision, not something determined by others. She liked girls—so what?
If she hadn't worried that bringing up such topics at this early stage would make her future more difficult and waste unnecessary energy, she would have spoken openly long ago.
So even if the boy knew, she had nothing to fear. If she couldn't even face this, how could she face even harsher criticism in the future?
"Yes, I knew. So I gave up. I truly don't know how I could ever make my charm outweigh the attraction those girls have for you. I was probably the most annoying type in your eyes—always chasing after you, regardless of whether you liked it." Instead of speaking about his current situation, Wang Tingsi began reminiscing about the past.
Though she didn't understand what he intended, Chu Lian simply thought, Whatever conclusion you've reached is your own business. For now, I'm just an onlooker and a listener.
Still, she had every right to speak on this matter.
"After all, I hate men the most. And you were like sticky candy, clinging to me no matter how hard I tried to shake you off. Don't you think that's annoying?"
She did not avoid the topic. Since he had brought it up, she might as well make him fully aware that the world did not revolve around his wishes.
"Back then, I always thought it was because I hadn't done enough—because I wasn't good enough. You appeared when I was in the most danger and saved me. That life-saving grace... when I saw your face and got to know you, it almost naturally turned into admiration—an admiration I couldn't resist. What could I have done?" Wang Tingsi looked up at the sky. The clear blue above appeared gray in his eyes, as gray as the dust smeared across his face—everything bleak and dim.
"I understand that a little. But I really don't like men. How could I possibly accept that?" Chu Lian shrugged. She had vaguely guessed this long ago. Now that he had said it aloud, it merely answered the doubts in her heart.
It seemed that incident had left a deep mark on him. A life-saving grace turning into admiration—such a classic beginning to countless love stories since ancient times. But it didn't apply to her. If he had been a girl, perhaps there would have been something to discuss. But he was a boy, and that left nothing more to say.
"Yes. When I don't even meet the most basic requirement, how could I ask you to like me or accept my feelings?" After saying this, Wang Tingsi saw that Chu Lian merely smiled without responding. He stopped speaking and closed his eyes.
A gentle breeze swept across the lake, ripples spreading outward in endless circles. The clear water reflected the sky, leaving one uncertain where the future might lead.
The boy and the girl stood quietly. In the soundless surroundings, there was only dead silence—no trace of ambiguity.
After a long while, Wang Tingsi finally steadied his emotions and said hoarsely, "My father, my mother... my entire family is dead. They died in a conspiracy. Only my elder sister protected me and helped me escape. But now, I don't even know where she is."
"It was Wang Hao, wasn't it?" Chu Lian immediately thought of the stern-looking middle-aged man whose presence carried an unsettling aura.
"Yes. Him. The traitor of the Wang family. He's become a lackey of the Otherside. Since our Wang family is the Rift Guardian family of Sucheng, once we're eliminated, the unattended rift will gradually widen. It can't form a true gate, but it's enough to let certain troops cross over."
"That lackey Wang Hao—just for his own selfish desires, for his ambition to rise higher—he turned my entire family into stepping stones. This hatred is irreconcilable! I will never let him live so comfortably. Never. Never, never!"
As he spoke, Wang Tingsi clenched his fists and turned, slamming them fiercely against the surface of a willow tree. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had mistaken the tree for his enemy.
"Oh... I see." Chu Lian pondered briefly and quickly sensed the deeper issue. "It's true that people strive upward—it's unavoidable. But causing so many deaths isn't something praiseworthy. Interesting... interesting. This Wang Hao's goal is probably not that simple."
"I know. But so what? I don't even have the qualifications to fight him. I haven't reached the time to inherit the family's legacy. I'm weak. Our family's influence has been wiped out completely. What can I possibly do to him?" Wang Tingsi looked lost. His life had been carefully arranged by his family—so why had it suddenly twisted into something so unfamiliar?
He had not experienced as much as Chu Lian and could not regulate his emotions. More importantly, he was far too weak.
The Wang family valued ancestral inheritance. Nearly every successor head underwent a ritual, allowing their strength to begin at the Earth rank. Within at most three to five years, they would reach the Heaven rank.
It was a simple and effective method. Even battle experience could be inherited, requiring little training to achieve a level of strength others could never reach in a lifetime. Thus, many Wang family heirs were not especially powerful in their youth. This was also one of the causes of his tragedy—his lack of strength.
Everything had once been fine. But once something irreversible occurred, it became the cruelest punishment a person could receive.
Wang Tingsi was called a genius celebrity, but much of that had come from his family's power. Even if he possessed some genuine talent, it was nowhere near enough to serve as capital for revenge.
It could be said that without anyone to help him, avenging himself was nearly an impossible task.
Of course, since Chu Lian had encountered him now—destitute and fallen—lending a hand was not out of the question. But she was, after all, a Spacetime Traveling Merchant. Everything required a transaction. Boy, are you prepared to give up everything in exchange for the power of revenge?
Stepping forward, Chu Lian leaned close to his ear and whispered softly, "If I can grant you the power to take revenge—to personally slaughter your enemy, to gain the skill to track down every mastermind behind this—would you be willing to give up everything you have?"
Her breath was fragrant as orchids, her scent warm and captivating, her voice soft as silk. Wang Tingsi's mind wavered for a moment. If only she had treated him like this back then.
"I'm willing! As long as you can do what you say—even if I have to offer my soul, I'll do it!" There was almost no hesitation. In his current state, Wang Tingsi could only clutch at this final lifeline. Even making a deal with the devil would be worth it.
In truth, someone with nothing left—what exactly could he even give? That was unknown. But he would still do it. Because if he missed this chance, there would never be another.
He didn't know whether Chu Lian could truly accomplish this. But he knew she had never been someone who spoke empty words. If she said it was possible, then he would believe her.
"This is a contract—the Shura Contract. Once you sign it, you will cast yourself into the Nether River and be reborn as a Shura. When you fight your way up from the Nether River and return to the real world, you will possess the power of the Heaven rank. Coupled with the Shura's innate talent for slaughter, the more you kill, the stronger you will become. By then, revenge will be simple."
The contract was written on a simple sheet of rice paper. Ornate patterns formed a frame around the edges, and within it were profound characters that resembled Chinese yet were not Chinese.
He could not understand them, nor did he know whether it truly held such power. He only cared about two questions. If Chu Lian's answers satisfied him, he would sign without hesitation.
"How long will it take for me to reach that level?" If it took too long, his enemy might already be far beyond his reach. How would he avenge himself then?
"If you work hard and have talent, three years at most," Chu Lian replied. Though close to his limit, it was still acceptable.
"And after signing it... what will I lose?"
"Your human identity. Some of your rationality. The karmic ties between you and me. And certain other prices you can accept. But understand this—once you sign, unless your body and soul are utterly destroyed, you will forever be the most loyal dog under my command. Are you willing?"
"Only that? Hahaha... For revenge, for survival—what do those things matter? As for becoming a dog... compared to being a pawn toyed with by fate, being your dog doesn't sound so unacceptable." Wang Tingsi laughed, tears streaming down his face.
Did he have a choice anymore? None at all. Even if it meant becoming a dog, even if it meant no longer being human, he had to live. It was the only way to avenge himself and settle his long-held obsession.
With that thought, he took the contract and asked, "How do I sign it?"
"With your blood. Let it soak into the paper," Chu Lian answered.
"A knife..."
Chu Lian drew the Senra Longblade from her personal space and handed it to him. "This blade will be your weapon from now on. I hope you return with it one day."
"I will..." He nodded. Without hesitation, he sliced open his fingertip. Blood flowed out and dripped onto the contract. A bewitching crimson glow flared. In that instant, he felt something immensely important vanish from within him.
Before he could identify what it was, a pool of blood formed beneath his feet. It swallowed him whole in an instant, sending him into the Nether River for rebirth.
"Farewell. I hope you survive and return." Holding the contract, feeling the power she had gained within her body, Chu Lian smiled faintly before turning away.
Meanwhile, within the Nether River, Wang Tingsi opened his eyes and looked down at his body. A shriek burst from his lips.
"Why have I turned into a girl?! This wasn't within the range of what I could accept!!!!"
But that miserable scream was destined to go unheard.